


never without you

by Super_Danvers



Series: The Jemily Volumes [1]
Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Emily Prentiss - Freeform, F/F, Jemily - Freeform, Lesbians, alternative season compliant, criminal minds - Freeform, jennifer jareau - Freeform, mentions of other Criminal Minds characters, one shots, strange ships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-19
Updated: 2020-03-19
Packaged: 2021-03-01 05:01:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,360
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23219665
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Super_Danvers/pseuds/Super_Danvers
Summary: Can't believe Jennifer and Emily weren't endgame, so have these.
Relationships: Jennifer "JJ" Jareau/Emily Prentiss
Series: The Jemily Volumes [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1669441
Comments: 5
Kudos: 130





	never without you

JJ was bitter. Grumpy, bitter, and pissed off. Granted, those were practically all the same emotion but JJ’s mood managed to separate them completely. The whole team tried to help her, but she wouldn’t have it. Only Garcia was ever allowed in her room. She only let Garcia see her like this.  
The blonde had been shot just above the knee nearly three months ago and so far, her recovery had not been going as well as she hoped it would. What JJ had hoped for was that she would be up and back to work again in a week or so, but that was not the case. Everything still ached and her body wracked with pain anytime she tried to move. It was at the point where she had to rely on her family’s help just to go to the bathroom.  
When JJ refused her family’s help, Garcia offered her own services and the younger agent was moved into the analyst’s home a week later. Since then, Jennifer had been curled up in the spare bedroom with endless daytime TV and a bitter attitude. 

There was a gentle knock at the door and Garcia’s head popped through the doorway. “Hey, Jayje.” She offered softly. She found it was best to use quiet voices around the blonde: that way she didn’t get things like the remote thrown at her. “How you doing?”

JJ’s head lolled off her shoulder to the general direction of her friend. “Mhm, bored.” She muttered unhappily.

Garcia held up the tray in her hands. “I brought soup. You know, Reid said soup is a proven –“

“I don’t want it.”

Penelope’s shoulders slumped, and she nervously pushed her glasses up her nose. JJ was in a temper. “Oh, okay. That’s no problem. Is there anything I can get you?” 

JJ’s head rolled back onto her shoulder. “I’m fine.”

“Are you sure? I don’t want you to do your physical therapy on an empty stomach. I could get you ice cream, or brush your hair – “

“I’m not a child, Garcia.” JJ responded, not nastily but made her point firm enough for her friend to understand. 

“Right, sorry. I didn’t say you were.” She mumbled. “Do you want me to send Emily in? She’s here.”

That caught the other agent’s attention and she almost softened. JJ looked back at Garcia, her eyes gentle and lips open slightly apart. “Emily’s here?” Her voice croaked out. 

“Yeah, just got in from London.” Garcia confirmed. She observed how JJ’s behaviour changed subtly, noticing how her hands closed around the duvet slightly and memories flickered through her eyes. “She wants to see you, Jayje.”

JJ stiffened at that, and turned away from Garcia, pulling the duvet up to her cheek. Penelope sighed and hung her head. This was how JJ had been since the shooting: cold and distant. Nothing and nobody seemed to get through to her. Reid theorised that something else was bothering the woman, which they all agreed with as it wasn’t like JJ to refuse help or to be intentionally nasty to anybody. 

That theory had led to Emily. The former FBI agent hadn’t been allowed to fly back to the States after JJ had been shot, so her clearance to go had only just come through. Everyone knew JJ was closest with the brunette and hoped she’d be able to get past JJ’s anger and get her back to normal.  
Garcia left the room, leaving the door ajar on her way out. JJ preferred it open: that way she could hear when people were talking about her. Now, she could hear muffled murmurs which were driving her crazy. She was about to explode when there was another soft knock on the door. 

“JJ?”  
The blonde froze at the voice, recognising it immediately. Her hands clenched the blankets so hard that her knuckles went white. She immediately buried her entire head under, not wanting Emily to see her face.

“No!” She yelped. “Go away!”

There was nothing in response. No breathing, no comforting words and no feet moving across the room towards her. The dropping of a pin could be heard. It stayed that way in what felt like forever until JJ peeked out again. 

There, stood in the doorway with her arms folded, was Emily Prentiss. She looked older, more mature. Her hair was a dark red as opposed to the chocolate brown it had been last time JJ had seen her. She was dressed differently as well. The pant suit had been replaced by a black turtleneck, dark green cargo pants and black combat boots. She looked like a soldier.  
She looked pissed. 

Emily adjusted her shoulders, but kept her arms folded, and fixed JJ with a stern expression. “Are we going to do this the easy way, or the hard way?”

JJ scowled. “Go away, Emily.” She turned back over. 

Emily scoffed and unfolded her arms, striding across the room. She took hold of the blankets and pulled them back, earning a horrified shriek from the blonde. JJ scrambled to get them back, but pain rocketed up from her bandaged knee and made her body rigid with agony. 

Emily dumped the blankets at the foot of the bed and stood in front of the now hissing JJ.  
“Get up.” She said firmly. 

JJ groaned, her hands clawing for the sheets. Her leg felt like deadweight as it sent more shoots of pain up to the rest of her body. “I…can’t…” 

“Oh yes you can, c’mon.” Emily’s tone wasn’t cruel, but JJ could hear the challenge in it.

“Stop it!” JJ snapped. She fell back against the pillows, tears starting to threaten her cheeks as the pain got worse and worse. 

Garcia was stood in the doorway, and looked just as upset as Jennifer did. “Emily, stop this.” She implored. “She’s not strong enough.”

Emily held up a dismissive hand. “If she’s strong enough to be throwing things at you, Garcia, she’s certainly strong enough to stand up.” She clapped her hands together loudly, making both women jump. “So, come on! Get up!” 

Garcia left the doorway: she couldn’t bear to watch the two shouting at each other anymore. JJ and Emily had never shouted at each other, ever. Even when JJ had held a gun to Emily’s chest, the former agent had never raised her voice. 

Emily took a firm hold of JJ’s good leg and dragged it off the side of the bed, forcing her to sit on the side. The blonde stared at her with wide, incredulous eyes.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” She muttered furiously. 

Emily crouched down to her haunches, putting her hand on JJ’s good knee to steady herself. “Are you alright?” 

JJ raised an eyebrow. Gone was the mean exterior and here was the usual, normal Emily she’d always known. Her eyes softened and she looked up to JJ with a hopeful expression. 

“What are you doing?” JJ questioned, confused out of her mind. 

Emily gave her a knowing smile, the kind of smile she always gave before she could make JJ laugh. “I’m getting you further out of this bed than anyone else has in weeks, that’s what.” 

JJ couldn’t find a response: she was still confused. Emily noticed this and her smile faltered. She let go of JJ’s knee and her hands found the blonde’s jaw.  
“What’s going on with you?” 

JJ couldn’t ignore how her cheeks felt hot when Emily put her warm hands on her jaw with her thumb caressing the tears off of her cheeks. She swallowed, trying to let her mind keep up with her head. Everything was just so confusing.

“It hurts.” She admitted, hating how miserable she sounded. “It just…hurts.”

Emily nodded. “I understand.” She said, softly and slowly. It was almost like she knew that deep voice both drove her crazy and made her feel like she was on cloud nine. “Do you want to try standing up? Judging from the team’s letters, you haven’t moved that knee in weeks. Is it stiff?” 

JJ just nodded. She felt numb, and weak, and silly. Emily, with JJ’s permission, hooked her arm under the agent’s shoulders and lifted her off the bed. 

Jennifer gasped as her leg straightened and her knee gave away almost immediately. But she didn’t fall. Emily didn’t even falter as JJ’s leg collapsed beneath her.  
“I’ve got you. It’s alright, I’ve got you.” She promised. 

JJ let out a small, breathy laugh. “That’s what you said…last time.” She coughed.

“Hm?”

She rested her head on Emily’s shoulder, trying to meet the brunette’s eyes. A small smile twitched at the corner of her lips. “That’s what…you said…last time. When I got kidnapped…you said, that you’ve always…got me…” Her voice croaked. She looked down at her feet, and the world spun in circles. “Oh…my god.”

“What is – oh, yup, okay…you’re fainting.” Emily scrambled to catch all of JJ as she went completely limp. Luckily, her arm swept under the blonde’s legs and she managed to hold her up bridal style. “Pen? Little help in here please!” 

+  
When JJ woke up again, she was alone on the sofa in Emily’s apartment. Her knee was propped up on the arm with a cushion, and the TV was on at a quiet volume. How had she ended up here? A couple of lights were on to dimly light the room, but apart from that, the apartment seemed empty. 

“Emily?” She called out. 

There was no response. JJ sat up. Her leg hurt less, felt less stiff. Whatever had happened to her, someone had done a number on her leg. She called out for Emily again, and this time she heard boots clomping on down the stairs. 

Emily appeared, still wearing the cargo pants and combat boots. She had a cleaning kit in her hands and a towel over her arm. The former agent smiled when she saw JJ.

“You’re awake.” She observed. “Good, I’ve set up your bedroom – I mean, if you want to sleep in there. I know some people don’t like sleeping by themselves in a new place so you can sleep with me if you want. Well, not with me – but, you know, share the bed.”

JJ noticed how she blushed, and yet felt her own cheeks flushing red too. She blinked simply. “How did I get here?” 

Emily breathed a sigh of relief as JJ didn’t address that weird bout of mouth diarrhoea. She put the cleaning kit down on the table. “Well, after you fainted, I told Garcia I’d take you to stay at mine so she could have a break.”

JJ groaned. “Yeah, I should probably send her several apologies. I’ve been such a bitch to her.”

Emily flopped down on the floor by JJ’s stomach and leaned up against the couch. “Uh huh, what was up with that? I’ve never seen you like that before.” 

A guilty expression fell over the blonde’s face, and she fiddled with her hoodie uncomfortably. “I don’t know. I don’t why I feel this angry. I just…hate always being the one who has to take time away because of something stupid.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, I had to take time off when I got married to Will, when I had Henry and then when…Afghanistan happened, and when I got kidnapped, and when I had Michael, and when Will and I got divorced – I hate it.” JJ’s fist tightened around her hoodie as she remembered all those years of pain she’d gone through. “I’m weak.”

Emily grabbed her hand tightly, and JJ felt like a firework suddenly exploded in her abdomen. But her face didn’t match the sensation as she caught the expression on Emily’s face. It was like thunder, like before when she’d shouted at JJ.  
“Don’t you dare ever say that again, Jennifer Jareau.” She practically spat the words at the agent. “You are the strongest person I know. You have been shot, twice, and kidnapped with hundreds of volts of electricity shot into you. You have been through hell and walked back through it with a smile. You are beautiful, and kind, and humble. You, JJ, are the best person I know.” 

JJ looked guiltily down at herself. “Gee, thanks, Em. That means a lot.”

Emily knew from the sadness in the other woman’s tone that she didn’t believe Emily’s words. She hooked a finger under JJ’s chin and raised it upwards gently.  
“Jennifer Jareau, when are you going to stop beating yourself up for things that are not your fault? Hm?” Her finger left JJ’s chin to brush a strand of hair out of her face. 

JJ’s eyes were everywhere: glancing up and down Emily’s face, trying desperately to not stare at the other woman’s lips. But even just the graze of Emily’s fingertips across her cheek was making the butterflies in her stomach become a swarm and the beating of her heart become louder than a drum.

Emily smiled softly. “I’ll always be here for you, JJ.” She promised. “The next time you get kidnapped, or shot at, or you nearly lose another kneecap – I’ll always be here to look after you, no matter wha-“

“Oh for gods’ sakes, shut up.” JJ grabbed Emily shirt with her fist and yanked her forwards, letting their lips crash together.  
The kiss was short, as JJ felt Emily’s surprise as their lips met. But the surprise and separation only lasted a few seconds because Emily’s hands snaked around JJ’s neck and got tangled into her hair. JJ couldn’t help but laugh into the kiss: this felt so right. Like she should’ve done it years ago, before she had the boys, before she’d even met Will, like she should’ve done this all along.

JJ slowly pulled out of the kiss, both of them practically gasping for air. Their foreheads rested together and they couldn’t help but laugh through their breathlessness.  
JJ winced slightly due to her leg but smiled through the pain. “So, you’re always going to be here, hm?”

Emily grinned mischievously. “You’re stuck with me.”


End file.
